Had hoped to have more children but doctors advised against a third operation. 14 Betty Grable. Her swimsuit photo made her the number 1 pin-up girl during World War II.Her photo later appeared in LIFE magazine's "100 Photos that Changed the World". His success boosted hers, but they divorced in 1940. He was under considerable stress from a lawsuit against his parents over his childhood earnings, and the couple divorced in 1939. Grable entered into a relationship with dancer Bob Remick, 27 years her junior, with whom she remained until she died in 1973. The Dolly Sisters earned more than $4 million at the box office, and was Fox's second-highest earning movie of the year, behind Leave Her to Heaven. Browse 744 betty grable stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. During production, Grable and Monroe were falsely rumored to be at odds with each other. I can act enough to get by. Zanuck relented to Grable's own request not to tamper with her successful screen formula. Pin-Up: The Tragedy of Betty Grable. Lillian lied about her daughter's age, and Betty (real age 13), landed several minor parts in films in 1930, such as Whoopee! Suffered from "demophobia" (fear of crowds) and was a somnambulist (sleepwalker). Later, she starred in big Las Vegas stage productions such as Hello, Dolly. Title supplied by cataloger. The film earned more than $3.5 million at the box office and was well received by critics. After refusing the leading female role in Irving Berlin's There's No Business Like Show Business (1954), Grable again was suspended from her contract. Grable was reluctant to continue her film career, but Fox was desperately in need of her return. [4] Describing her film career, Grable said "I became a star for two reasons, and I'm standing on them. She preferred to star in up-beat and outlandish musicals, many of which followed the generic boy-meets-girl story tack. She was of Dutch, English, German, and Irish ancestry. Elizabeth, who later became Betty, was enrolled in Clark's Dancing School at the age of three. Despite a casting consisting of Cesar Romero and Rudy Vallée, the film was panned by critics, but it was a reasonable success at the box-office. Later, 20th Century-Fox, who had her under contract, insured her legs with Lloyds of London for a million dollars. She was a lifelong Republican and conservative. The studio refused, and she went on strike, which led to her being replaced by Marilyn Monroe in the movie adaptation of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and by June Haver in the musical comedy The Girl Next Door (also 1953). Managed by: Private User Last Updated: November 30, 2016: View Complete Profile. |  Pin Up Girl co-starred comedians Martha Raye and Joe E. Brown and was released in April 1944 to overwhelming success at the box-office. The two reportedly remained friends until Grable's death. Did Playtex 18-hour Shortie commercials in the 1960s using her famous pin-up pose -- purportedly because she needed the money after her husband had spent her savings. Historical records matching Victoria Elizabeth James The film has her as a hostess for a USO canteen, who also provides entertainment for the troops during their time there. Grable began her film career in 1929 at age 12, after which she was fired from a contract when it was learned she signed up under false identification. She next starred in How to Marry a Millionaire, a romantic comedy about three models plotting to marry wealthy men, co-starring Marilyn Monroe and Lauren Bacall. In 1947, the United States Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid star in America, earning about $300,000 a year - a phenomenal sum even by today's standards. A few months following her death, Grable was memorialized in song by Neil Sedaka on a track from his 1974 LP Laughter in the Rain. In 1935 Betty Grable had a pet white cat named "Whitey" who could go limp in her arms and "play dead". If they don't like it, the devil with 'em. The U.S. Treasury Department in 1946 and 1947 listed her as the highest-salaried American woman; she earned more tha… With her mother's guidance, Betty studied ballet and tap dancing. Grable had been placed in the "Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll" every year, beginning in 1942. She was in eight celebrity relationships averaging approximately 4.5 … (1930), starring Eddie Cantor. It was reported that Grable often quarreled with Fairbanks and Preminger, and that she nearly walked out on filming, but decided against on the advice of her agent. Not every starlet was so eager to fall into bed with Marilyn. It was later included in the Life magazine project "100 Photographs That Changed the World". After the war, her star continued to rise. Made her film debut at age 13 in a Fox quickie, "Let's Go Places" in 1930. Fox cast Grable in a succession of Technicolor musicals during the decade that were immensely popular, co-starring with such leading men as Victor Mature, Don Ameche, John Payne, and Tyrone Power. She was interred at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. As the Lily sisters, both Grable and Faye received favorable reviews for their performances. Her mother was a stubborn and materialistic woman determined to make her daughter a star. However, she changed her mind and decided to take her chance on Broadway; she accepted Buddy DeSylva's offer to star in his musical DuBarry Was a Lady starring Ethel Merman and Bert Lahr. Grable immediately thereafter began filming When My Baby Smiles at Me (1948), co-starring Dan Dailey, which became a blockbuster, cementing Grable and Dailey's status as a bankable movie duo. Explore {{searchView.params.phrase}} by color family {{familyColorButtonText(colorFamily.name)}} Popular American movie actress Betty Grable models a bathing suit in the most famous pinup photo of World War II. Down Argentine Way was a critical and box-office success at the time of its release, and many critics proclaimed Grable to be the successor to Alice Faye. It received critical acclaim from critics, and was a box-office hit, earning an estimated $5 million. After Tin Pan Alley, Grable was teamed again with Ameche in the hit musical Moon Over Miami (1941), which co-starred up-and-coming actress Carole Landis. Betty Grable was an American actress and dancer once known as the woman with the most beautiful legs in Hollywood. She then married trumpeter Harry James in 1943 with whom she had two daughters Victoria Elizabeth and Jessica. Grable's star continued to rise when she starred in Song of the Islands (1942), co-starring Victor Mature and Jack Oakie. She also appeared on Broadway in Hello Dolly in 1967.[11]. As a member of the ensemble group of attractive young chorines, Grable appeared in a series of small parts in movies, among them the mega-hit Whoopee! Her second marriage was to bandleader Harry James; two kids. Grable thereafter found a new career starring in her own act in Las Vegas hotels, as well as alongside her then husband, musician Harry James. Grable was voted the number-one box-office draw by American movie exhibitors in 1943; she outranked Bob Hope, Gary Cooper, Greer Garson, Humphrey Bogart, and Clark Gable in popularity. She cared more for her family than stardom.Betty Grable died at age 56 of lung cancer on July 2, 1973 in Santa Monica, California, five days before Veronica Lake's death. Her mother Lillian was a pushy stage momager who forced her daughter into dance lessons and countless child beauty contests in search of fame. Fact is, I've more fan mail since, especially from servicemen telling me about their wives and babies. Zanuck, who had been impressed by Grable's performance in DuBarry Was a Lady, was, at the time, in the midst of casting the female lead in the musical film Down Argentine Way (1940). At the time of its release, the film received positive reviews, with many critics singling out the obvious on-screen chemistry between Grable and Power. Birth. Name. [13][10] Their marriage, which lasted for 22 years, was rife with alcoholism and infidelity before they divorced in 1965. American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. 4-Mar-1944, with Harry James) Daughter: Jessica (b. A horse may not be able to hold you tight, but he doesn't wanna wander from the stable at night. She was entombed at Inglewood Park Cemetery in Inglewood, California. While attending Hollywood Professional School, she developed a musical act with a friend, Emylyn Pique (born Juanita Emylyn Pique), who later took the name, Very early in her career, Grable sang with the. Her first film for the studio, Probation (1932), provided the 14-year-old Grable with her first credited screen role. [11] The play was an instant critical and audience success, and Grable was branded a new-found star. Despite the similarities, it had new songs written and dances choreographed to modernize the film. After five years of constant work, Grable was allowed time off for an extended vacation. To get her daughter jobs, Lillian Grable lied about her daughter's age, claiming she was 15 to movie producers and casting agents. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Putnam Books. This eventually led to her having chorus girl jobs in Let's Go Places (1930) and New Movietone Follies of 1930 (1930).[9]. She requested an upped salary and the option to make only those films she wanted to make. "Pin-Up: The Tragedy Of Betty Grable" (originally published in hardcover in 1986) has the distinction of having the youngest daughter of Grable and bandleader Harry James, Jessica James Yahner (who passed away in 2016 at the age of 68) giving information and insight. Betty later went public about her co-star's love for women, saying Marilyn essentially stalked her — and added that the relentless pursuit was “sometimes scary!” One of her big roles was in College Swing (1938). Although critics acknowledged that the film "momentarily achieved" brilliance, they also felt that the movie's music was like "sticky toothpaste being squeezed out of a tube". Closing the decade, Grable starred in The Beautiful Blonde from Bashful Bend (1949), an oddball movie that unevenly mixed musical numbers with Western clichés. As her star continued to ascend, Fox chief Darryl F. Zanuck expressed interest in broadening Grable's range as an actress. Her 42 films during the 1930s and 1940s grossed more than $100 million, and she set a record of 12 consecutive years in the top 10 of box office stars. Betty Grable Lyrics: When I used to be a little kid / I used to go / Every Saturday afternoon / To the picture show / Close up to the screen / My life wasso serene / I lived through every scene / With Publicity Listings The film was only moderately successful, and quickly was followed by Meet Me After the Show (1951), co-starring Macdonald Carey, Rory Calhoun, and Eddie Albert. [10] Despite the studio's effort to introduce Grable to the mainstream movie audience, her performance was overlooked by audiences and critics in favor of a newcomer, Judy Garland. Hosiery specialists of the era often noted the ideal proportions of her legs as thigh (18.5 in (47 cm)), calf (12 in (30 cm)), and ankle (7.5 in (19 cm)). She received larger roles in The Gay Divorcee (1934) and Follow the Fleet (1936). The film was an attempt by Fox to recapture Grable's reputation as the studio's biggest star, and though she was paired with Dale Robertson, the film was a critical and box-office flop. The 100 Best Shows on TV; Renewed or Canceled? 9-Oct-1965, two daughters) Daughter: Victoria (b. In a 1940 interview, Grable stated she was "sick and tired" of show business and that she was considering retirement. Although she received no on-screen credit for her performance, she led the film's opening musical number, titled "Cowboys". Jessica Jaymes was found unconscious at her San Fernando Valley home on Sept. 17 "I Had the Craziest Dream", the ballad from Springtime in the Rockies, was played on the church organ. The U.S. Treasury Department in 1946 and 1947 listed her as the highest-salaried American woman; she earned more than $3 million during her career.[1]. [3] Grable's legs were insured by her studio for $1 million as a publicity stunt. According to Betty, Monroe tried to seduce her but she rejected the advances. In 1930, at age 13, Grable (under the pseudonym Frances Dean) signed with producer Samuel Goldwyn; she thereby became one of the original Goldwyn Girls, along with Ann Sothern, Virginia Bruce, Lucille Ball and Paulette Goddard. The practice of putting women on pedestals began to die out when it was discovered that they could give orders better from there. Harry James, Betty Grable with daughters Victoria and Jessica. It enjoyed reasonable success at the box office, particularly overseas. Grable came to prominence in the Broadway musical DuBarry Was a Lady (1939), which brought her to the attention of 20th Century-Fox. Google eBooks. In 1943, she married trumpeter Harry James. Her stepson, Tim James, was an attorney working with the then Attorney General of Texas and became responsible for enticing television personality. Mother. Warren, Doug (2016). Over the next few years, however, she was again relegated to uncredited minor roles in a series of films, many of them that became worldwide successes, like the hit Cavalcade (1933). Fox then began to develop Philip Wylie's short story, "Second Honeymoon", into a script suited for Grable's talents. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6525 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960. Nicknamed "Betty" as a child, she was pressured by her mother to become a performer. Matching family tree profiles for Jessica James Paramount lent her to 20th Century-Fox to co-star in the adolescent comedy Pigskin Parade (1936), which first exposed Grable to the public. The film's success led to Fox upping her salary and to her having a wider choice over the films she made. Betty-Grable-Legs. The success of the movie led to her re-teaming with Mature in Footlight Serenade (1942), also co-starring John Payne, in which she played a glamorous Broadway star. Hollywood stars including Ce… Despite their lack of quality, Grable's movies were immensely popular, and Fox regularly channeled the profits it received from Grable's movies into their more prestigious movies. RKO Radio shot some publicity photos of her with Whitey. The No.1 pin-up girl of the World War II era, her photograph in a bathing suit pose went on to achieve iconic status and was included in the project "100 Photographs that Changed the World" by the ‘Life’ magazine. [citation needed] Over the years, rumors have circulated that a rivalry existed between Grable and Faye during filming, but this has been said to be entirely untrue—both actresses denied all accusations of a feud, and each often expressed their admiration for the other. Many of the film's later scenes had to be rewritten to hide Grable's pregnancy. In the late 1940s, 20th Century Fox insured her legs with Lloyds of London for a quarter million dollars. Aug 26, 2016 - Jessica James - daughter of Betty Grable and Harry James Her bathing suit poster made her the number-one pin-up girl of World War II, surpassing Rita Hayworth. In 1950, Grable had re-gained her status as the most-popular female at the box office; she ranked fourth overall, just behind John Wayne, Bob Hope, and Bing Crosby. Lillian lied about her daughter's age, and Betty (real age 13), landed several minor parts in films in 1930, such as Whoopee! Critics called the film a "slight, but cheerful, item", and proclaimed it "does serve to bring Betty Grable back to the screen". Delivered her daughters Victoria and Jessica via Caesarean section. She lied about her age, stating she was 15. Betty Grable (18 December 1916 – 2 July 1973) was born Elizabeth Ruth Grable in St. Louis, Missouri.She was an American actress, dancer, singer, and model, famous for her legs.She insured her legs for $1,000,000. When the film was released, it received mixed reviews; it was referred to as "a bright and beguiling swatch of nonsense", and it did not generate the revenue Fox had hoped. Find this Pin and more on Peopleby Kristin Honsberger. I'm a song-and-dance girl. Her iconic bathing suit photo became the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. NAME: Betty Grable OCCUPATION: Film Actress, Pin-up BIRTH DATE: December 18, 1916 DEATH DATE: July 2, 1973 PLACE OF BIRTH: St. Louis, Missouri PLACE OF DEATH: Santa Monica, California REMAINS: Buried, Inglewood Park Cemetery, Inglewood, CA HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME 6525 Hollywood Blvd. Grable died of lung cancer on July 2, 1973, at the age of 56, in Santa Monica, California. [5] The same year, she made her uncredited film debut as a chorus girl in the Fox Studios all-star revue Happy Days (1929). Retrieved Sept. 22, 2019. [on her November 19, 1937 marriage] I want to be Mrs. Grable played the only two straight roles of her career in 1941. Though Grable played the leading roles in these films, they led to her being typecast as an innocent and not-so-bright college student. Relation. It was later included in … Pin-up queen Betty Grable was caught in Marilyn Monroe’s crosshairs when they filmed the movie How to Marry a Millionaire together in 1953. - Cleopatra Collins (1956) ... Cleopatra Collins. How to Marry a Millionaire was a box-office triumph when released, grossing an estimated $8 million. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, never nominated for golden globes or oscars. In 1939, she appeared opposite her then-husband Jackie Coogan in Million Dollar Legs,[10] a B-movie comedy that gave Grable her famous nickname. [16] She was inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians. It's like everything I've ever done - I LOVE IT! Critics, though, were not as accepting of the film. She replaced Alice Faye in Down Argentine Way (1940), her first major Hollywood film, and became Fox's biggest film star throughout the next decade. Grable has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6525 Hollywood Boulevard. Her first marriage was to former child actor Jackie Coogan. Betty Grablemarried twice. The film also suffered from indifferent ticket sales, and Fox failed to re-gain their financial investment. The second movie, I Wake Up Screaming, released in November, had Grable receiving top billing as Jill Lynn, the sister of a young model who is murdered. It was, however, a box-office hit, earning more than $3.7 million. Betty finally landed a substantial part in By Your Leave (1934). Although, by the early 1950s, Grable was searching for originality in the scripts offered to her, she had no luck in finding the movies she wanted to do. Grable died of lung cancer on July 2, 1973, at the age of 56. In 1946-1947, the Treasury Department noted that she was the highest paid woman in America, receiving $300,000 a year. In 1952, Grable began re-negotiating her contract with Fox. Betty Grable: Behind the Pin-Up. The biggest box office star of the 1940s and the most desired WWII pin-up girl, acting-singing-dancing triple-threat Betty Grable became the stuff of Hollywood legend after her studio reportedly insured her famously gorgeous legs for $1 million with Lloyd's of London - the same legs that were captured in one of the most iconic photographic images of the 20th century. The film offered Grable her second teaming with Carole Landis, and it co-starred Victor Mature. Wabash Avenue was released in May 1950, and was a box-office hit. American singer, dancer and actress, the most famous "pin-up girl" of WW II. It received favorable reviews from most critics, and was a box-office success. The first, A Yank in the R.A.F., released in September, co-starred heartthrob Tyrone Power, and cast her as Carol Brown, who works in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force during the day, but is employed as a nightclub singer in the evening. [2], Throughout her career, Grable was a celebrated sex symbol. She went on to date dancer Bob Remick, remaining with him until her last breath. Her life was an active one, devoid of the scandals that plagued many stars in one way or another. In 1932, she signed a contract with RKO Radio Pictures, and she was assigned to a succession of acting, singing, and dancing classes at the studio's drama school. The Shocking Miss Pilgrim (1947) was her first film back at Fox. With that pin-up and as the star of lavish musicals, Betty became the highest-paid star in Hollywood. Her following film, My Blue Heaven, released in December 1950, re-teamed her with Dan Dailey, and was equally successful financially. Denny Jackson/Robert Sieger, Other Works But that's the limit of my talents. In 1943, she was the number-one box office draw in the world and, in 1947, she was the highest-paid entertainer in the United States. She opted to play the role of Miss Adelaide, but was passed over in favor of Vivian Blaine, who had played the role on Broadway. Official Sites. She ranked at the top of the poll in 1943, and ranked second in 1947 and 1948. Grable was cast in That Lady in Ermine (1948), a film project that previously had been considered for either Jeanette MacDonald or Gene Tierney. "If that's not luck, I don't know what you'd call it", Grable said in her first interview after signing with the studio. She then officially retired from motion-picture acting. 20-May-1947, with Harry James) GRABLE, Betty A., 90, of Midlothian, formerly of Atlanta, passed away on June 3, 2009. [Concerning her and other stars' status as World War II pin-up queens] A lot of these kids don't have any women in their life to fight for - I guess what you would call us girls is kind of their inspiration. Grable appeared in her first film made away from Fox in over 15 years Three for the Show (1955) for Columbia Pictures, and paired her with up-and-coming talents Jack Lemmon and Marge and Gower Champion. Carmen Miranda GCIH OMC (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkaɾmẽȷ̃ miˈɾɐ̃dɐ]; born Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha; 9 February 1909 – 5 August 1955) was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress, and film star who was active from the 1930s on. As a result, the studio prepared a film called Pin Up Girl for her. and the film recouped its financial investment. She was entered in multiple beauty contests, many of which she won or for which she achieved considerable attention. Nicknamed "The Brazilian Bombshell", Miranda is known for her signature fruit hat outfit she wore in her American films. After Lubitsch's death early in production, Otto Preminger took over. Grable's success as a pin-up girl furthered her career as a mainstream movie star. In fact, Grable and Monroe got along famously; Grable reportedly told Monroe: "Go and get yours honey! Bandleader/trumpeter Harry James w. his actress wife Betty Grable looking on w. delight as their 1-yr-old daughter Victoria Elizabeth blows out candle on her beautiful 3-layer birthday cake at home. Grable's next movie, Coney Island, released in June 1943, was a Technicolor "gay nineties" period musical and co-starred George Montgomery. To link to this object, paste this link in email, IM or document. The role had originally been assigned to Alice Faye, Fox's most popular musical film star, but she had to decline the part due to an unspecified illness. With her mother's guidance, Betty studied ballet and tap dancing.Betty and her mother set out for Hollywood with the hopes of stardom. She also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. They had two daughters, Victoria Elizabeth "Vicki" Bivens (born 1944) and Jessica Yahner (1947-2016). It is a grave responsibility. Grable retired from screen acting in 1955 after she withdrew from her Fox contract, although she continued to perform on the stage and on television. People write to me as if I were a sister or friend. Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, the movie was a traditional black-and-white film noir, containing a combination of suspense and romance. Grable's performance was reviewed favorably by most critics, and the film enjoyed reasonable financial success. Elizabeth “Betty” Ruth Grable (December 18, 1916 – July 2, 1973) was an American actress, pin-up girl, dancer, model, and singer. Grable married former child actor Jackie Coogan in 1937. The bit parts continued for the next three years. The film was a lavish Technicolor musical and co-starred Don Ameche and Carmen Miranda. Hollywood Singing and Dancing: A Musical Treasure. It proved to be Grable's final film appearance. [When asked if her status as new mother threatened her image] I never thought of it. Apparently Marilyn didn’t take “no” for an answer and stalked Betty on the set of the picture. She continued to be popular until the mid-1950s, when musicals went into a decline. In fact, many of her movies were thin when it came to their stories, but they were high on energy during their song-and-dance sequences. The resulting movie was Springtime in the Rockies (1942), directed by Irving Cummings and pairing Grable opposite Payne, Cesar Romero, Carmen Miranda, and her future husband, bandleader Harry James. Grable's photograph sold millions of copies, eventually surpassing the popularity of Rita Hayworth's famous 1941 photo. But that didn’t mean her life was perfect…or even well-adjusted. It's loud, it's cheap, it's gaudy. Grable, whose career was declining, was assumed to be jealous of Monroe because she was being groomed as Fox's newest star and possibly as Grable's unofficial successor. Google eBooks. [12] The picture was released as a poster and became the most requested photo for G.I.s stationed overseas. In 1941, Fox attempted to broaden Grable's acting and audience range by casting her in two films with more serious intent than those in which she had starred previously. Two of her biggest film successes were the musical Mother Wore Tights (1947) and the comedy How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), one of her last films. The film was an immediate hit, Grable's biggest success to date, grossing more than $2 million. Grable married former child actor Jackie Coogan in 1937. After her brief stint as an RKO contract player,[citation needed] Grable signed with Paramount Pictures. The Dolly Sisters (1945), her next film, teamed her with newcomer June Haver, an actress Fox was promoting as Grable's successor. Home Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection Betty Grable's daughter at funeral service . Relatives. The woman's vision is deep-reaching, the man's far-reaching. Throughout her career, she was very cautious; she often worried about starring opposite well-known leading men. The release of the film was surrounded by a massive publicity campaign promotion, but despite the promotion, the film failed to fulfill its hype, with many critics complaining of the lack of chemistry between Grable and North.

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